Astroscale U.S. Statement on the White House National Orbital Debris Implementation Plan

The United States’ leadership and commitment to the safety and sustainability of Earth’s orbits is essential. Orbital debris poses a significant risk to satellites and other assets on orbit, such as the International Space Station, and by mitigating, tracking, and developing technologies to eliminate debris, the U.S. is ensuring people and investments are protected.

In late July the White House National Science and Technology Council released the National Orbital Debris Implementation Plan, which aligns and meets some of the objectives of Space Policy Directive-3, for tracking and characterizing orbital debris in low-Earth orbit. The Debris Implementation Plan identifies 44 specific actions for federal agencies to take across 3 pillars; Debris Mitigation, Tracking and Characterization of Debris, and Remediation of Debris.

The plan addresses several vital items for which Astroscale U.S. has advocated:

• Refine Techniques for Conjunction Risk Assessment and Collision Avoidance

• Design Add–on Devices for Improved Tracking, Maneuvering and Remediation

• Object Characterization, Tracking and Custody

• Research and Development into Debris Remediation Technologies

• Policy, Regulation and Cooperation

Astroscale U.S. applauds the White House for developing this plan and looks forward to liaising with federal agencies to implement it in their FY2024 budget requests. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with partners across the government, industry, and academia to address orbital debris and are excited to work with the government to make space sustainability a critical priority for the nation.